Portraiture

Portraiture

Kenya's Mau Mau veterans

Kenya's Mau Mau veterans

They were detained and tortured at the end of British Colonial rule in Kenya: beaten, tortured and sexually assaulted; even castrated. Decades later, some of the few survivors traveled to the United Kingdom to sue for damages.

The British government has accepted that detainees were tortured by colonial forces, and in October 2012, the claimants won the right to sue for damages.

On June 6, 2013, the British government announced that it would make payments totalling £19.9m, representing a 'full and final settlement'. Over 5000 elderly Kenyans who suffered torture and abuse at the hands of colonial-era authorities will benefit from the pay-out.

At a press conference in Nairobi on June 6, 2013, many Mau Mau-era veterans turned up to hear the announcement by the British High Commissioner to Kenya.

The Disappeared

The Disappeared

Olana Basiloda

Mrs. Basiloda's son, Nyero Alex, was 13 years old when he was abducted from the family's home in 1993. "They took him whilst I was present at home," says Mrs. Basiloda. "I begged them not to take him but they would not listen. I told them the father of the boy was dead but they still took him." She was left with two other sons.

Karamela Olaka

Mrs. Olaka's son, Okelo David, was abducted in 1993 when he was just 16 years old, along with his brother Mukili when they were in the fields collecting herbs. Mukili escaped and returned home, but Mrs. Olaka has had no news of Okelo in 20 years.

Kossam Dero

Mr. Dero's son, Okongo Samuel was 14 years old when he was abducted in 1996 as he returned home from school with other pupils. One of the youngest children of the group, he stumbled as they fled the arriving rebels, and was caught by an armed group. Mr. Dero learned his son's fate from the school-children who had managed to flee.

Sabina Aling

Two of Mrs. Aling's sons, Ochaya Charles—who was 13 years old—and Richard Loum—who was 15 years old—were abducted in 1997 as they were returning home from the family's small agricultural land. She now remains with only two of her sons, and says she has had no news of Ochaya or Richard since the day they disappeared.

Angela Alur

Mrs. Alur says she doesn't know her age. Her son, Lokoya, was in Primary 6 education when he was abducted around 1995-1996, aged around 14-15 years old. She has heard nothing of him since.

Aparo Jospin

Mrs. Jospin's son was 20 years old when he was abducted in 1997, taken from the family's home during the night whilst everybody was asleep. "I just woke up in the morning and he was gone." She has had no news of him since then.

Peter Bob

Mr. Bob was working his field in 1990 when an armed group arrived at the family home and took all five of his children. Two days later, three returned home after telling the rebels that they were all from the same family, but Lukure Joseph (12 years old at time of abduction) and Alikiker Issa (16 years old at time of abduction) never came back. "I don't know whether they are alive, we have no information" he says.

Ayero Judith

Mrs. Judith's son, Lotwa Franco, was 12 years old when he went to visit his aunt in a neighbouring village in 1997. When he arrived, he was abducted by an armed group. Mrs. Judith is involved in the ICRC's counselling groups. "I learned a lot from the meetings," she says. "Especially how to live without knowing the fate of my son."

Amal Yousoupina

Mrs. Yousoupina's son, Ochaya Samuel was 17 years old as he walked to school in 1997, at which point he was abducted by an armed group.

Osaya Santo

Mr. Santo's brother, Okelo Charles, was abducted in 1996 when he was 22 years old, and Mr. Santo has had no news of him since then. He is a participant in the ICRC counselling groups, and says "we can interact and exchange advice," something that did not happen before. "This is reducing the emotions I feel towards my brother" he says.

Ator Cecilia

Mrs. Cecilia's three sons were abducted in 1996 as they were digging in the family's field: Oringa Josh William (25), Kilama Ben (16), and Obita Moses (12). "Up to now, I don't know where they are" says Mrs. Cecilia, who is now left with only her daughters. She is still struggling with the loss of her sons. "My mind can never be peaceful."

Atoya Vincent

Mr. Vincent was abducted by an armed group in 1999 along with his four brothers. They spent six months in the bush, being trained and given a gun, always moving from place to place. During an offensive by the Ugandan army, Mr. Vincent saw his opportunity to escape, and escaped to a village before surrendering to the army. When he returned home, he learned that three of his brothers had been killed in reprisal for his escape, and that rebels had come to his home and also killed his mother and father. His sister blamed him for their deaths and he felt animosity from his remaining family members. "When I was abducted, I was not yet married, and so I was left without any family" he says.

Between 1986 and 2006, up to an estimated 75,000 people were abducted in northern Uganda, and in 2013, the fate of several thousands remains unknown; the ICRC estimates that there may be more than 12,000 people still missing. Their families have lived for years with this uncertainty, unable to honour their death, and hanging on to the hope that one day, their family members may return. The emotional distress this has caused has led to many feeling isolated, unable to talk about their situation with other members of the community and feeling stigmatised and discriminated against due to a perceived connection to the rebels.

The ICRC launched a holistic programme in Palabek Gem Subcounty identifying, and subsequently bringing together, families of the missing. Within support groups for these families, trained "accompaniers" facilitated discussion on learning how to cope with their grief and finding a way to move forward.